Northgate mall's low-emission parking spaces get blacked out - for now

Northgate mall has temporarily removed all of the controversial low-emission parking spaces as officials evaluate a plan to rearrange them.

"We're really trying to take this opportunity to really fine-tune this plan," spokesman Ryan Williams said. "We're trying to come up with an alternative plan that does have the preferential treatment for the (low-emission drivers) but also opens it up for those shopping at Northgate."

The mall aims to become California's first regional mall to be LEED certified, and in doing so, officials have reserved 154 parking spaces, or 5 percent of the mall's 3,100 spaces, for "low-emitting fuel-efficient vehicles." The spaces earn the mall points toward Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building certification status, awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Macerich Co., the mall's owner, has taken some flack for its attempts to be green after the spaces appeared with the mall's $75 million upgrade, finished late last year. White lettering denoting the spaces, which appear all around the mall, have since been painted over with black paint.

A nine-page list of low-emitting vehicles, determined by the council and available at the mall's guest services kiosk and at the management office, includes hundreds of makes, years and models.

Ashley Katz, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Green Building Council in Washington, D.C., said she was not aware of any other complaints around the country about LEED certification priority parking.

Mall officials have said they encourage only people driving low-emitting vehicles to use the spaces, but the mall does not have an enforcement policy.